The need to create a Russian enterprise for the production of ropeways has been long overdue, but this problem was most prominently highlighted in October 2016 at the International Sports Forum "Russia – a Sports Power." At that time, representatives of the Union The ski industry noted a shortage of quality offerings in the Russian ski tourism market, low demand for mountain resort services, and the insufficient development of domestic production of ski equipment, gear, and inventory.
Six months later, in March 2017, this issue was addressed at the Russian government level in the protocol "On measures to develop domestic and inbound tourism in the North Caucasus Federal District, including the development of North Caucasus resorts." The protocol included a directive to develop and submit to the Russian government by the end of 2017 a concept for the development of the ski industry in the Russian Federation, with a particular focus on import substitution for ski resort equipment. Four federal agencies were appointed as co-executors: the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Sport, and the Ministry of the North Caucasus.
Focus on localization of production
The issue of localization has gradually begun to be explored. In May, at a roundtable in Innsbruck, Austria, representatives of local manufacturing companies, recognized leaders in the design, construction, and operation of ski resorts, noted the potential for cooperation with Russia.
At the same time, Vladislav Subbotin, Executive Director of the Union of the Ski Industry, stated that localizing foreign production should be the first and key step in creating domestic equipment. "The obstacle preventing the ski industry from developing in Russia is the almost complete lack of industry-specific production: today, all equipment is purchased abroad, and sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate lead to significant increases in the cost of equipment," he said.
According to V. Subbotin, the concept for developing the ski industry in Russia will consider introducing customs exemptions for the supply of cable car equipment, reduced tax rates for resource use and land leases for the construction of production facilities, and subsidized interest rates on loans.
Innovative technologies from POMA
In early autumn, JSC North Caucasus Resorts, the North Caucasus Development Corporation, and the French company POMA SAS discussed the possibility of creating a joint venture to design, build, and manufacture cable cars for ski resorts.
On October 24, three companies signed a cooperation and collaboration agreement in Moscow within the framework of the National Ropeways project. The strategic goal of the agreement is to localize production and ensure demand for the joint venture's products, which assemble components for ropeway systems and employ qualified personnel.
"The need to create an industrial facility that would manufacture ski equipment has been long overdue. Ski resorts in our country are rapidly developing and gaining popularity. However, unfortunately, we are currently forced to purchase the necessary equipment for constructing resort infrastructure abroad, which naturally increases the cost of project implementation. Therefore, we have concluded that it is necessary to localize component production in Russia as much as possible," emphasized Odes Baysultanov, First Deputy Minister for North Caucasus Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC North Caucasus Resorts and the North Caucasus Development Corporation.
"Our goal is to localize ski equipment production. For now, in the first stage, we're focusing on 80%. This will allow us to create additional jobs, reduce the cost of ski infrastructure construction projects, and, of course, learn valuable experience from our French colleagues," he noted, adding that the project is largely consistent with the goals of developing a high-tech economy and increasing labor productivity, as outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his major press conference.
The Russian-French project will be implemented in three stages. During the first stage, a training center will be established specializing in training personnel in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of ropeways. It will provide training, certification, and advanced training for engineering personnel, management, and specialized technical and electrical personnel. After completing the training, these specialists will be employed not only at National Ropeways facilities but also to meet the needs of industry-wide production in Russia.
The second stage involves the creation of production facilities for the assembly of ropeway system components supplied by POMA SAS. The creation of an assembly facility with a spare parts warehouse will facilitate the development of a logistics platform and the prompt and high-quality servicing of ropeway systems at resorts in the North Caucasus. The assembly facility's capacity will be further expanded to meet the needs of the Russian and CIS markets.
The ultimate goal of the project participants is to establish a localized assembly facility. This will enable the production of ropeway components to serve the needs of all-season tourist and recreational complexes in the North Caucasus, as well as export products outside the Russian market.
With an eye on the future
In December, work on the National Ropeways project entered the practical phase. The parties discussed a list of components whose production could be quickly launched in Russia using existing production facilities in the North Caucasus Federal District. The POMA SAS delegation toured the workshops of the Mediinstrument, Krasny Molot, and Grozny Electromechanical Plant factories in the Chechen Republic; Sevkavrentgen-D in Kabardino-Balkaria; the Cherkessk Rubber Industrial Products Plant; and the Derways automobile assembly plant in Karachay-Cherkessia. The delegation also plans to consider several sites in the Stavropol Krai.
The French side noted the fairly high level of material and technical equipment and the satisfactory condition of production workshops at a number of plants.
Last week, the action plan ("roadmap") for the creation of the Russian-French joint venture "National Cable Cars" was signed. According to this plan, the parties are to determine the final production sites for cable car components. The parties will also need to agree on the project's key technical parameters, including the list of components planned for production within the joint venture and the amount of funding required to launch production.
"The more cable cars there are in Russia, the more competition there will be. While previously only major players like Gazprom and Lukoil invested in the ski industry, today the industry is attracting smaller players—and this is a truly healthy development. Ultimately, the economy of the North Caucasus, businesses, and tourists will all benefit," emphasized Boris Petrov, Director of the Assembly of Russian Ski Centers.
Source: tourism.interfax.ru